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Written By Aleksei

Jan. 26, 2018, 12:45 p.m.(1/15/1008 AR)

I think a better source of our praise and respect would be High Lord Victus for refusing to accept such methods as necessary, honorable, or worthy of respect. You only have to look back as far as Prince Abbas's removal from his position as Warlord of Thrax to see just how "necessary" his actions were in the eyes of his liege lord.

Written By Margerie

Jan. 26, 2018, 12:42 p.m.(1/15/1008 AR)

Relationship Note on Thena

For my part, I think I have found greater happiness in being an Oak than any flower I might have been mistaken for in youth.

If you wish to be a flower, they grow everywhere. I rather admire the tenacious ones that find ways to flourish unexpectedly.

Written By Edward

Jan. 26, 2018, 12:35 p.m.(1/15/1008 AR)

Relationship Note on Abbas

It is perfectly fine to question the decisions that were made by a General facing a force of insanity in the numbers of thousands. There is always those willing to criticize in the after-action thinking they knew better or could have found a better path.

But let me be frankly clear, because I am one of the few best suited to speak on this:

If Prince Abbas did not do what he did and save the strength of his forces; we would have been fighting the Silent Army inside Arx instead of outside of it.

That is the flip of the coin of burden Abbas carries.

Written By Astraea

Jan. 26, 2018, 12:34 p.m.(1/15/1008 AR)

Forgiveness is the most powerful thing that we can do for our mind and our spirituality. Yet, it remains one of the least attractive things to us, largely because pain is a powerful reminder not to make the same mistakes that hurt us in the first place. To forgive is somehow associated with saying that it is all right, that we accept the evil deed. But this is not forgiveness. Forgiveness means that you fill yourself with love and you radiate that love outward and refuse to hang onto the venom or hatred that was engendered by the behaviors that caused the wounds. Forgiveness is an act of strength, or so I was always taught. Maybe I'm wrong, I can accept that because I'm not perfect and I can be daft or downright naive sometimes. What I do know for certain is that we must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. When we become devoid of that then we become devoid of the ability to love as, I believe, the Gods meant us to. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. I don't want to believe any of us is above penance, redemption, and forgiveness. We only need look at our current predicament with the old Marin King and his daughters to see this is the truth of things. (Not that I endorse breaking curses that keep darkness at bay.) We all have the freedom of choice and it is a blessed freedom indeed.

Written By Thena

Jan. 26, 2018, 12:32 p.m.(1/15/1008 AR)

Relationship Note on Margerie

That’s a fine suggestion, Lady. Gild smiles upon the charitable.

Fortunately for me, being a commoner, I will never be mistaken for a flower.

Written By Dafne

Jan. 26, 2018, 12:30 p.m.(1/15/1008 AR)

I think if I was a flower, I'd like to be deadly nightshade.

Written By Harald

Jan. 26, 2018, 12:29 p.m.(1/15/1008 AR)

Hear me, Gods of my fathers. As our ancient foe draws near, I give praise for the power of the coming storm, for it is in the storm we find our strength. I give thanks that the foe is more numerous than any fleet for a thousand years, for it is in facing the greatest of enemies that the greatest glories are written. I rejoice that Marin the Fallen and Denied leads our enemies, that by his presence we are reminded the price of arrogance. We have grown strong under your eyes, Gods and ancestors; I pray you behold our deeds, mark well our valor.

Written By Orazio

Jan. 26, 2018, 12:22 p.m.(1/15/1008 AR)

I am old, and my heart is a tough thing of scars and sinew. It does not break easily.

Seeing nobility of the Compact defend the murder of children and the use of disease as a weapon of...not even of /war/, because war implies a conflict between warriors, on a field of battle. The use of disease as a weapon of /slaughter/. The imprisoning of those captured in war, holding them in cages riddled with human filth and disease, torturing them until you were sure that they were infected with a deadly malaise, and then sending them home to their children, their spouses, their parents, making them an instrument of the murder you were too dishonorable, cowardly, and craven to commit.

To the tune of tens of thousands dead, most by disease and torment.

Understand this: When you excuse such acts, then you normalize them. And aside from the sheer horror of that on an theological and moral level - the next time you go to war with YOUR enemies, it may be your children whose face and limbs swell and rot, your children's screaming that you hear as you try desperately to calm them, to prepare them for an agonizing death you know that they cannot possibly understand. Because you have said to your vassals, your allies, and your enemies that this is an acceptable tactic of war. That this a "hard choice" that a courageous man makes.

Allow me to say, as Legate of Concepts, as the Shield of the Faith, and as the Voice of the Most Holy: There is nothing honorable or courageous in what Abbas Thrax has done, on any of the (several) occasions that he has committed such acts. The actions of Abbas Thrax were not necessary to "save the Isles", and if they were? Then the Isles were not worth saving. When you defend those actions, you take dishonor on yourself, and it is a stain which will prove most difficult to remove.

And the Faith will remember who has championed such dark causes, and embraced such dishonorable acts.

Written By Estaban

Jan. 26, 2018, 12:19 p.m.(1/15/1008 AR)

Soon, Soon the Saik family will have a new member and she will be Baroness Lucita Saik.
My good friend Prince Aiden surprised me with a night out at the Inn we were joined by Master Waldemai and Sparte!
Drinks were had and many songs song, people do not let Sparte trick you, he has a very good voice and a very good talent for singing Sea Shanties.
I drank to my soon to be wife.
I drank to my friends old and new.
I drank to those present.
I drank to those who have passed.
Those who have passed......
My Friend Killian.
My Friend Fergus.
How you both have inspired me, both why you were with us and even more now that you have passed back to the wheel.
I drank to you both and will do so again on my wedding day.

Written By Karadoc

Jan. 26, 2018, 12:15 p.m.(1/15/1008 AR)

Relationship Note on Audric

"Loveless, loveless" is the refrain of these fables. However, I imagine if the titular Bad Man had less aggressively pious friends, he would be better able to enjoy his piles of gold. Or if he loved himself more and cared about the shivers of popular opinion less. Ho ho!

Written By Valery

Jan. 26, 2018, noon(1/15/1008 AR)

Relationship Note on Joscelin

Thank you...

Written By Tristan

Jan. 26, 2018, 11:54 a.m.(1/15/1008 AR)

I've learnt something about monsters in my time.

Sometimes monsters creep like oozing scum across the seas. Sometimes they have wings and spit acid. Sometimes they have human faces and sneak into the city to murder.

Sometimes they are human, and smile at you across a table, and try to justify their monstrosity. Sometimes you think because you know them and whatever they did seems so far away and distant that they can't possibly be monsters.

Knowing something is unspeakably terrible and doing it anyway does not make you a martyr or a hero. It makes you a monster.

Slaughtering people on the off chance they might have spoken with those allied with your enemies is not the way to 'save' anything, especially your soul.

I am so, so tired of people excusing the murder of children because the murderer was a noble they know and the murdered Abandoned no one here knew.

Written By Margerie

Jan. 26, 2018, 11:49 a.m.(1/15/1008 AR)

Relationship Note on Harlan

"That's the thing -- flowers aren't just pretty and smell good. They're very useful for a number of things. Medicine, perfume, dyes -- just to name a few. Perhaps people should be slower to jump to conclusions lest they fall on their backsides"

If we are going back to the message I sent after writing in this journal, and its response, let us provide context for our future readers.

I advised that the good Duke might be receiving some dead or dying flowers in the days to come and, yes, made my own impolite comment about feet being in the vicinity of mouths. However, I was making the suggestion that it might rather repair some of the damage of these comments if he donate a certain amount of silver to charity for each bunch of flowers received. I still find that a most worthy idea, especially with so many organizations in need as we focus on the urgency of the battles to come. And should he choose to embrace that idea in the spirit of making this a moment of light, I will further encourage all of you to send many, many wilting flowers to him that might otherwise go to waste. All the better if he employs those who might find purpose in them as perfumes (Those pretty scents for us to wear), as dyes (for that pretty clothing for us to wear), for medicines (No snippy comment here, I actually rather encourage that last).

You seem to be doubling down, m'lord. What you suggest is that you do recognize us as 'useful' and that I am leaping to a conclusion based on your earlier writings. So I have further conclusions to draw about the skill of those writings now, but I will leave that to the aforementioned future readers to infer on their own.

Written By Cristoph

Jan. 26, 2018, 11:45 a.m.(1/15/1008 AR)

My father always had this piece of advice handy for me as I was growing up. I'd like to share it here: "Shh. Cristoph, just stop talking."

Written By Mydas

Jan. 26, 2018, 11:37 a.m.(1/15/1008 AR)

Relationship Note on Mae

Well said.

Written By Mae

Jan. 26, 2018, 11:31 a.m.(1/15/1008 AR)

Relationship Note on Harlan

To refer to women as flowers for you to pick is very strange, but poetic language sometimes is. To remind yourself that you should only pick flowers that fit your needs is stranger still. Surely, I thought, you're just awful at poetry.

But then you doubled down. Women are pretty, and beautiful, but also useful objects for men to take as they need. I think what Marquis Mydas was suggesting was that you should refer to women as people, not objects.

This is disgusting, my lord. I'm hoping that wherever Aislin is, she doesn't get sent a copy of this journal. I also hope that should you find any "flowers" to be "plucked" for their "usefulness", someone shows them these postings before they agree to marrying you.

Written By Belladonna

Jan. 26, 2018, 11:16 a.m.(1/15/1008 AR)

Relationship Note on Abbas

I would remind those who wish to offer respect to Prince Abbas did that he did what he did the way that he did it to ensure that no others would suffer the stain of his choices. He knew what he did was unspeakably terrible; he did it anyway.

Respect his choices, if you respect the man. Defending him and finding yourself facing consequences for such is precisely the opposite of appropriate.

Written By Jael

Jan. 26, 2018, 11:12 a.m.(1/15/1008 AR)

Relationship Note on Harlan

I don’t think you’re making the argument you think you’re making.

Written By Cassima

Jan. 26, 2018, 11:03 a.m.(1/15/1008 AR)

Relationship Note on Tila

Your brother indicated we had much in common, and I daresay he was right in that regard. Mi familia, I cannot wait to know you better.

Written By Cassima

Jan. 26, 2018, 11:03 a.m.(1/15/1008 AR)

Relationship Note on Cirroch

Thank you again for your warmth and hospitality. It pleases me to no end to better know my Northern side. I hope for many similar evenings spent with your family in our futures.

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